Where the hell did you go?

Im such a head case...I can't remeber where this came from..sorry

I know, I know. I've committed the proverbial blog suicide. I disappeared, for like ever. But for good reason I promise. Since I last posted there has been a Peter Pan birthday, travels to Tennessee & North Carolina, a girl road trip across the Big Sky state, enough thrifting to gag a cat, a tribute to 'I Love Lucy', Honor Roll for Girl Genius, an Easter trip to Chico Hot Springs and Yellowstone National Park, a Zombie Prom Queen birthday(yes, you read that right) and remember project "Kitchen Aid"?.  Well said project went from a rearrange endeavor to a full blown let's remodel the entire house while still living in it with three children, a dog and three adults. Did I mention that the last three things happened simultaneously? Because that's totally rational and not "should be committed" behavior at all.;}, a Begining of Summer camp trip, a 15th birthday for a too cool teenage boy, a girl trip over the Beartooth mountains and through Yellowstone National Park (yes for the second time, I really really <3 buffalo, alright), I SHOT ANOTHER WEDDING [omg the fact that this accidental photography thing is progessing is just mind blowing], Ohhh new tattoos, an Un-Birthday for me (I refuse to grow up) and time spent with cousins on a farm in Roberts that may or may not have changed our entire lives{more on this to come at a later date, I do like me some drama. dun, dun, dun....... ;})

Geez did you get all of that? Excuse me while I catch my breath......... So in a nutshell this is the first opportunity I have had to even sit down for a minute and assess my surroundings. I hope someday to be able to blog as these things happen but alas I am not that organized, so dear readers please bare with me. I have not forgotten you!

Okay; so you don't think I'm insane ( never mind we've established that I am already). So I can share my insanity with you; I will attempt to re cap since my last blog post. Don't worry I'll spread it out over multiple posts, pretty sure I would crash blogger in an attempt to load all the pics.

Up first the Peter Pan Birthday! Change of plans, I have currently mis-placed the memory card that has the photos for both the Peter Pan Birthday and a chunk of the Tennessee pics. Sad face. Oh well, we can come back to that later;{(

So up next...Girl Trip Part I

Thanks for hanging in there with me guys....

xoxo kyla

As promised a little DIY & some therapy....

I firmly believe that retail therapy works. And my theory is that by shopping in local thrift stores I am also contributing to the community......Did you buy that?
No; well I will tell you that there is definitely a good feeling about mindlessly walking the isles until that one shiny thing captures your attention. And then like a furry varmint with a shiny new treasure you stroke it, and turn it over in your hands, and admire it.

image from here

Oh, maybe that's just me. I may have taken my Ranger Rick membership a little too seriously;}(yes I still have my membership card & so does my hubby lol)

I have been struggling whether or not to show you all (as opposed to y'all) my thrift store finds all at once or as I use them. I decided since most of them I am using right away I will just give you bits and pieces. Especially since they all pertain to a larger project I have dubbed "Project Kitchen aid".

 What's this you ask? Well, because my life is so boring and uneventful (oozing sarcasm in case you couldn't tell) I decided our entire house needed to be re-arranged. By re-arranged I mean dumped into a food processor, pulsed for 20 minutes and moulded in a fluted pan for three days. Hence the name. Let me explain why I thought this was a fabulous idea in the first place.....



I have to have this print! get yours here

 In addition to retail therapy I find that I use a "Make Do and Mend" type therapy. Making things helps mend me. And most times I will use what ever is readily accessible (make do). It comes on fast, in a flood of creative ideas and I scramble to get them out. Kind of like creative vomit....hahaha sorry that's gross but totally funny. So half finished chaos is what we get. I promise the end results are well worth the drama.












So now without further ado.......................

A Fabulous Cork Board

The bag of doilies was stuffed full. Mostly crochet edged, beautiful pieces. For $5.99 oh and I had a $5 off coupon from a previous shopping excursion. Yeah I used a coupon at a thrift store, don't judge me;}

And, the giant cork board. There is actually a story with that. You see my husband and I like to bond at Goodwill on Sunday's (they change the half-off sticker color) with coffee and NO KIDS. Well I walk by this cork board. It's poop brown with some not quite lined up cork squares. But the wood frame is in good condition and it has wooden feet too! The hubby sees me ogling this monstrosity and says "No way, where the heck are you gonna put it!" ..." But it would be perfect for my new office honey.And its half off today!" I explain. He just gives me the " I don't care, I'm going to have to build a freakin' warehouse to hold all your furniture lady" look.  So I sadly slink away with my best "Oh gorsh; I'm soooo abused" look.

Fast forward a couple of days. Hubby has cleaned out his car. By this I mean he has brought in a month's worth of rotten Tupperware from his traveling closet. Doesn't say anything just leaves it on the counter for me to find. I take one look in that bag, grab my keys and off to Goodwill I go. And by golly wouldn't you know they still had it, and it was still half off;}

I stopped at Hobby Lobby on the way home and picked up a tub of acrylic paint and some cheap brushes. I painted the entire wood frame. (no I didn't tape the cork I'm too lazy for that) It only took two coats and it dries really fast!

Then I stapled doilies on at random. I overlapped them and folded some to give me an edge to butt up to the frame.
You can have a bunch overlapping (like mine) or if you want a paired down style you could spread them out a little more. And then of course whats the use of having a fabulous cork board without cute button pins to hold the pictures in place!

Well that's it for now folks! I will be back shortly with another diy........
xo.kyla

On the road again.........

Here are a few quick highlights of our actual time in California

 Okay remember the haute mess of a trip in and how I was bummed out missing Reno? Well I got my wish on the way home and let me tell you I was squealing like a little girl ;}

Stopped at an EPIC thrift store called.........................

You have to go if you are ever in the Reno area. Sooooooooooooo cool. The too cool teenage boy wanted a gas mask so bad, but at $65 I couldn't do it. I did ask him "what are you going to do with it?" his response "I'd hang it on my door right over the poisonous gas sign you hung up!" Damn I like how this kid thinks;] Still couldn't pay $65 but now I have a gas mask on my radar for a 15th birthday....I'm so cool.

Stopped for a little Sonics. I don't know why but my kids are obsessed with sonics. Even when they don't come out on the skates. What the heck? I have to work really hard at being acceptable enough to be seen with in public, and a cheesy fast food joint is cool!? Maybe I need skates:/......................

And then in true kyla style I came down with the world's worst cold. I often say that Murphy's Law rules my life ( you know; if something can happen it will). I really thought I was going to die. But alas I did not. We made it home ,laughing, because our side street conditions here would require chains in some states.

up next some retail therapy and a diy

images sources: me ;}
top overlay: curated photo album get it here
second overlay: something I put together using stock from O scraps
the rest of the overlays: pugley pixel get your premium membership here